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in our program will help us out deal. She’s got to have that good The Midwest Cattleman · February 25, 2021 · P25
on those high-percentage Angus udder at two, three, four, five, six, through rigorous genetic selection in Oklahoma, Native Americans
cows by adding more product, foot and she’s got to breed that into and forage management. “If you pioneered big burns to drive buf-
size and bone to those cattle and her daughters. ever stop and think you’re where falo from the river. When the
gives them extra power.” “Now we’re looking at that an- you want to be, you’ll probably be area began to populate 150 years
Buford agrees, echoing, “What imal and we’re saying, ‘Where’s behind,” Branch says. “I think we ago, the burns quit and invasive
Hereford brings to our equation she from? Have we actually kept can get 85% of where we want to plants like scrub bushes and post
is a stouter, thicker animal with bulls out of this cow? Has she be, but we always need to be reach- oak and blackjack oak trees took
more red meat muscle than a been in the herd four years? Do ing for that extra 10 or 15%... our over.
straight Angus.” we keep selling steers instead of goal is to be able to raise the best A map of the original Dunkin
Udder quality is another big bulls? Do we keep selling feeder cattle we can possibly raise.” Ranch, drawn in the ’50s, shows
player, and a bull has to be backed heifers instead of having replace- the property at 70% woodland. In
by a cow with good udders and ment heifers?’” Gaining ground a matter of decades, brush large-
high milk production. This feeds As the registered cowherd and Without healthy forage, there ly overtook the southern part of
back to developing a stronger cow bullpen grew, it was obvious the is no home for cattle or cattle- the county. Prescribed burns and
herd. only way to retain efficiencies was men. Long before settlers arrived continued on page 26
“For a long time I looked at the
top side of the pedigree, which
was the sire side,” Buford shares.
“Over time I realized the bottom
side was probably more important
than the top side. That’s when we
started paying attention to cow
families and we tried to translate
that into our registered Hereford
herd.”
Since then, Buford says they
have made leaps and bounds in
teat size and the balance of the
udder.
“I think other Hereford breed-
ers are putting an emphasis on
that udder quality, too,” he regis-
ters. “I think the main thing you
can do is once you pick a replace-
ment heifer and she goes into the
herd, that’s not the end of the

Callaway

Livestock

Center, Inc.

On I-70, 4 miles east of
Kingdom City, MO on outer road

573-642-7486

Feeder Sale
Monday

12:30 p.m.

1st Thursday Night
of Each Month

6:00 p.m.
Special Cow Sale

Jack Harrison
573-386-2138

John P. Harrison

573-386-5150